Cold wrought chain



March 8, 1938. E. s. CORNELL, JR

GOLD WROUGHT CHAIN Filed Dec. 1, 1934 INVENTOR. Edward S. Cornel Jr.

5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. a, 1938 -mam-:1) STATES PATENT OFFICE to American Radia N.Y., a corporation tor Company, New York,

of New Jersey Application December 1, 1934, Serial No. 755,566

8Claims.

My invention relates to bead chains and other serially interconnectedarticles.

Preferred forms of my invention comprise substantially duplicatedelements, each element comprising essentially a socket or other hollowportion, a stem or body portion and a head orother enlarged portion, thehead or enlarged portion of one element being articulately received andretained in the socket or other hollow porl0 tion of the succeedingelement, such serial interconnection resulting in a chain or otherinterconnected product of such elements. From a broader viewpoint, myinvention relates to individual elements each generally comparable to anindividual link of a bead chain or other serially interconnectedarticle, but which individual elements are not necessarily seriallyconnected, each of ,which individual elements possesses generally anon-uniform contour of its respective portions, one portion of eachindividual element being of hollow formation.

A suitable construction of machine for forming articles of the nature ofbead chain elements, whether serially interconnected or individual, i.e.

non-interconnected, is set forth and claimed in my copending applicationSerial #641722, filed Feb. 19, 1936, now entitled Machine for formingcold wrought products.

A primary feature of my invention resides in that each element isproduced from an individual billet and by tools effecting swaging,drawing, forming, heading, extruding or like cold operation oroperations whereby each element is formed without any machine cuttingoperation; accordingly, my invention permits the employment ofindividual billets, each billet having a cubical content equal to thatof the element produced therefrom, and therefore eliminating all scraploss or other wastage.

A further distinctive feature of my invention is that the configurationof each link or other individual element may be elected as desired, inthat the configuration is not restricted to circular or cylindricaloutline necessitated by machine cutting operation. Advantageously, theconfiguration of each link or other individual element. formed pursuantto my invention, is symmetrical, and may be of square, hexagonal orother suitable polygonal contour.

A further advantage of my invention is that it lends itself to theemployment of'rod or wire, from which the individual billets are shearedto predetermined cubical contour, and additionally if preferred topredetermined shape.

By reason of each link orother individual ele-i ment being produced bythe above stated cold operation or operations of swaging, drawing,forming, heading, extruding, etc., as is more particularly set forth inmy aforesaid copending application Serial #64322 the material of each 5link or other individual element is solid throughout its respectiveportions, of high density, 1. e., of compact grain structure, and thefaces of the respective portions are self-finished and free from toolmarks, burrs and the like unavoidable in the use of machine cuttingtools and the like, and accordingly my products do not require the laborin finishing operations ordinarily required for polished, plated,lacquered or other finishes.

By reason of the compacted grain structure of each portion of each linkor other individual element, particularly its hollow portion, thematerial of each link or other individual element made pursuant to myinvention is homogeneous and free from porosity, and possesses hightensile and other strengths, accompanied by high resiliency,particularly effective at its hollow portion.

As a general result, my invention is advantageous in the manufacture ofa wide range of shaped articles commonly formed on heading machines,screw machines, lathes and like turning equipment, the range of'suchproducts manufacturable pursuant to my invention being enlarged byreason of the above stated enlarged scope of election of configuration.30

The method for producing my above stated links or other individualelements makes possible the employment of punches, bushings, dies andthe like, which require no sharpening nor re-setting recessary inmachine cutting tools, such as screw machines, lathes and the like, thestated tools employed in the production of my invention being further oflow initial cost, of long life of service, low tool maintenance, etc.

My invention is particularly applicable to metal inclusive of alloys asthe material of each billet. The respective billets may be of the samematerial, or may be of difierent material supplied 9.1- ternately or inother relative order, in which latter arrangement the resulting chainsor other serially connected formed elements are composed of elements ofvaried composition.

Further features and objects of my invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following detail description and the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in central section,of one form of duplicated individual links serial y nterconnected toform a bead chain.

Fig. 2 is a' face view and Fig. -3' a plan view of an individual billet,shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view and Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in centralsection of an individual element embodying my invention. Figs. 4 and 5serve also to 'illustrate one form of element having a hollow portion towhich is integrally connected a stem portion. Figs. 4 and 5 alsoillustrate an individual element in an intermediate stageapplicable asan individual link of a bead chain such as is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation and Fig. '7 is a bottom plan view of anotherembodiment of individual element pursuant to my invention. Figs. 6 and 7serve also to illustrate an individual link at intermediate stageapplicable to the formation of a bead chain such as shown in Fig.4.

Fig, 8 illustrates one manner of serially interconnecting individualelements of the character shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in the productionpursuant to my invention of a bead chain such as is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a bead chain formed of seriallyinterconnected links having each a hexagonal configuration, pursuant tomy invention.

Fig. 10 is an elevational View of a bead chain formed of seriallyinterconnected links having each a four face configuration, pursuant tomy invention.

Without limiting the scope of my invention, I refer firstly to itsembodiment in the form of a bead chain, such as is illustrated inFig. 1. From this viewpoint, the showings of Figs. 2 through 8 representsuccessive stages of the production of I such bead chain. Figs. 2 and 3illustrate the billet primarily having a predetermined cubical contour.As is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and as will be more apparent fromFigs. 4 through 8, the billet 20 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may also be ofpredetermined contour.

The article shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is produced from the billet 20 shownin Figs. 2 and 3, namely by swaging, or drawing, or forming, orextruding, or like cold operation or operations, singly or plurally, aprimary characteristic of which includes the formation of a hollow endportion 2| to which is integrally connected the stem portion 22. Thehollow portion 2| may be of any desired contour and/or dimensions.Advantageously, the outer contour of the hollow portion 2| conforms tothe outer contour of the billet 20, the stem portion 22 being producedfrom the cubical content of the billet 20 by the above stated coldoperations, singly or plurally. The stem portion 22 may have anyconfiguration and dimensions as desired.

Such link or other individual element shown I in Figs. 4 and 5 whenapplied as a link in a bead or other chain is provided with an expandedportion at or adjacent the end of its stem portion, such as isillustrated at 23 in Figs. 6; and 7. Such expanded end portion ispreferably in the form of individually extending tongues 23a, of anydesired number and individual dimensions and/or configurations. Suchenlargement .23 is of utility for its interconnection serially with aduplicate in the production of a bead chain or other article of seriallyconnected individual elements.

Fig. 8 shows one method of interconnecting serially any desired numberof such links or other duplicate individual elements to form a beadchain such as is illustrated in Fig. 1, or other serially interconnectedproduct. Essentially, the

peripheral portion of the hollow portion 3 Oi each link is formed orotherwise cold worked to a relatively restricted open end formation suchas is indicated at 2 lb of the therein lowermost link, the resultingopening] -2|c having a diameter or other dimensions to retain theenlargement of the succeeding, in this instance the next upper link andto afford the desired articulation.

An especial advantage attributed by my invention is that the wall 2|a ofthe socket or other hollow portion 2| may be of highly reduceddimension, which by reason of its homogeneous and compacted structure ofmaterial possesses suflicient tensile and other strengths as well asresiliency to afford the production of a bead chain or other seriallyconnected product fully capable of withstanding the imposed strains andstresses incident to its use in the operation of current switches ofelectric fixtures, attachment of lavatory and bathtub plugs, key chains,etc.

Fig. 9 illustrates. firstly an individual element .24 comprising aportion 25 of hexagonal outer configuration, a stem portion 26 and anenlarged end portion 21. Fig. 9 illustrates further the employment of aplurality of such individual elements serially interconnected with oneanother to form a chain such as a bead chain.

Fig. 10 illustrates two foldly an individual element 28 comprising a.hollow portion 29 in this instance offour face outer configuration, astem portion 30 and an enlarged portion 3| at or adjacent the free endof the stem portion 30; and the employment of a plurality of suchindividual elements serially interconnected with one another to form achain such as a bead chain.

The manner of effecting serial interconnection of the individualelements shown in Figs. 9 and I 10 may be had as is illustrated in Fig.8 and.

otherwise described herein.

Suitable mechanism for efiecting the above stated cold workedoperations, and additionally in serially related and continuous stage ofproduction, as carried out by me under commercial conditions, is setforth in'my aforesaid copending application Serial #6 1,722.

From the above, it appears that my invention resides in a new article ofmanufacture of preferably metallic composition wrought to its finalconfiguration from a billet of predetermined cubical content, and alsopreferably of a billet of predetermined outer configuration.

From the above, it'appears that the more preferred forms of my inventioncomprise'individual elements having a hollow portion to which isintegrally connected a stem portion, the finished product being wroughtto the final configurations tegrally connected with the base of itshollow por- I tion, preferably centrally thereof, and an enlargedportion at or adjacent the end of the stern portion, theenlarged portionof successively connected elements being received within andarticulately retained in the hollow portion of itssucceeding element.

In general, my invention is directed to individual elements-ofnon-uniform outer and/or inner configuration and comprising a pluralityof parts of diflferent outer and/or inner configuration, each elementbeing produced from a billet of predetermined cubical content, and coldwrought to final status, each element being further characterized by themetal or other material of all portions being solid, of compacted grainstructure and surface finished by the cold wrought operation oroperations employed in attaining its final status.

I claim.

1. As a new article of manufacture, an element comprising a hollowportion including a wall having a non-cylindrical configuration, a stemportion integrally connected to the hollow portion, and an enlargedportion at or adjacent the free end of the stem portion, said hollowportion and said stem portion and said enlarged portion being of solidmetal and wrought to their respective final configurations solely bycold operation.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an element comprising a hollowportion of polygonal outer configuration and a stem portion integrallyconnected'to the hollow portion, each of said portions being of solidmetal wrought to their respective final configurations solely by coldoperations.

3. Asa new article of manufacture, an element comprising a hollowportion of polygonal outer configuration, a stem portion integrallyconnected to the hollow portion, and an enlarged portion at or adjacentthe free end of the stem portion, said hollow portion and said stemportion and said enlarged portion being of solid metal and wrought totheir respective final configurations solely by cold operation.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an element comprising a hollowportion of non-cylindrical outer configuration and a stem portionintegrally connected to the hollow portion, each of said portions beingof solid metal wrought to their respective final configurations solelyby cold operations. I

5. As a new article of manufacture, an element comprising a hollowportion of non-cylindrical outer configuration, a stem portionintegrally connected to the hollow portion, and an enlarged portion ator adjacent the free end of the stem portion, said hollow portion andsaid stem portion and said enlarged portion being of solid metal andwrought to their respective final configurations solely by coldoperation.

6. As a new article of manufacture, serially interconnected elements,each element comprising a hollow portion, a stem portion integrallyconnected to its hollow portion, and an enlarged portion at or adjacentthe free end of its stem portion, the enlarged ends of successiveelements being received within and articulately retained in the hollowportion of its succeeding element, each of said portions being of solidmetal wrought to their respective final configurations solely by coldoperations.

7. As a new article of manufacture, serially interconnected elements,each element comprising a hollow portion of polygonal outerconfiguration, a stem portion integrally connected to its hollowportion, and an enlarged portion at or adjacent the free end of its stemportion, the enlarged ends of successive elements being received withinand articulately retained in the hollow portion of its succeedingelement, said hollow portion and said stem portion and said enlargedportion being of solid metal and wrought to their respective finalconfigurations solely by cold operation.

8. As a new article of manufacture, serially interconnected elements,each element comprising a hollow portion of non-cylindrical outerconfiguration, a stem portion integrally connected to its hollowportion, and an enlarged portion at or adjacent the free end of its stemportion, the enlarged ends of successive elements being received withinand articulately retained in the hollow portion of its succeedingelement, said hollow portion and said stem portion and said enlargedportion being of solid metal and wrought to their respective finalconfigurations solely by cold operation.

EDWARD S. CORNELL, JR.

